SAN DIEGO — San Diego police are investigating the apparent theft of a 300-pound bronze statue of the Lorax — a character from a Dr. Seuss book that is now a movie — from the La Jolla estate of the late Theodor Geisel, a.k.a. Dr. Seuss.

The statue, 3 feet in height along with a stump serving as a base, was stolen between Saturday and Monday. The thief or thieves apparently rolled the statue and stump down a hill and into a getaway vehicle, according to San Diego police.

Geisel’s widow, Audrey, lives at the estate. The theft was discovered by the property manager. Value of the statue, which was created by Geisel’s stepdaughter, is listed at $10,000.

On the stump is the word “Unless.” The Lorax is a creature that “speaks for the trees,” warning that “unless” more trees are planted, they will disappear from the Earth.